Stars Fell on Alabama had a memorable 20 year run

Stars Fell on Alabama had a memorable 20 year run
Four clubs hosted event that attracted 600 parrotheads to Pleasure Isle

The 20th Anniversary Stars Fell on Alabama, the finale for the event, was appropriately themed “Pirates Look At 20,” and it was a fitting send-off thanks the Lower Alabama, Mobile, Towns Around Biloxi and Montgomery Parrothead clubs who hosted the party with a purpose.
A note on the registration form was very telling: “Don’t miss the conga line away from the sand and sun and back to the bus. The phun always seems to happen on the ride back to The Island House!’’
The 600 attendress danced and swayed to The Boat Drunks, Girlz Rule (Lynley Tolls, Kristie Bobal, and Heather Vidal), John Patti, Donny Brewer and the Dock Rockers, Sunny Jim, Jerry Diaz and Hanna’s Reef, Mississippi’s own Rain Jaudon, and Steve Hopper from the tropics of Tennessee.
Boat drinks, brightly colored shirts, live music, conga lines were part of the decor in the lobby of the Island House Hotel, and the daily parties started at breakfast.
Greg Dumas set-up his Radio Trop Rock show from the Island House pool deck and also served as auctioneer. The late great local parrothead, Jane Tarver (pictured) continued what had by then become a traditional vow renewal ceremony on the beach. As usual, the St. Louis Parrothead Club won the award for having the most registered attendees.
The “Phlocking” raised close to $200,000 for charities during its 20 year run, and each of the sponsoring clubs chose a charity to sponsor.
Similar to MOTM, Stars’ events included Bottomless Bloody Mary & Mimosa breakfasts, Mini-Mart meetings, silent auctions, raffles, cookouts and one event titled the “Thank God The Tiki Bar Is Open.”
“We have a lot of people that come each and every year,’’ said Charlotte “Mama Bear’ Skinner, who came over from a Satsuma (15 miles northeast of Mobile) to lend her expertise as PHIP Director of Conventions. “There is a lot of partying and cocktails, but it’s true what we like to say. it’s also partying for a purpose.’’
The idea for the Stars Fell on Alabama gathering was hatched in April 1999 when leaders from three Alabama Parrothead clubs decided while doing tequila shooters at the original LuLu’s on Weeks Bay to organize a regional phlocking. It was only a year earlier that the Mobile Parrothead Club was revived. Soon after, the long dead Biloxi PHC was revived, and a few months later the Montgomery PHC was founded. Being all within close proximity and age, there naturally were new bonds and friendships formed, and the three clubs began to work (and play) together.
Skinner formed the Coastal Alabama PHC in 1995, but there was not much interest at the time. In 1998, John Thornton, Larry McNeese, Dave Luley and Sean Eifert got together and started the Towns around Biloxi Parrothead Club. Vince Allison, a longtime Atlanta Parrothead, was desperate to find more like minded parrotheads when returning home. So he founded the IsleO’Bama Parrothead Club.
There was already an annual parrothead party hosted by a Mobile hockey team, but nothing much bigger than that.
After a few more shooters, Thornton, Allison and Skinner decided the party they were having was a perfect foundation for what would follow.
The very first Stars was held in downtown Mobile. Over 150 parrotheads enjoyed hockey games, a parrothead parade on ice, conga line parties, a balcony contest, parking lot parties, a bus trip to LuLu’s and, of course, entertainment from parrothead bands. Attendees that first year raised $3K for the Alzheimer’s Foundation.
The Lower Alabama Parrothead Club at one time was 150 members strong and extremely active on the Pleasure Island community service trail, volunteering at local marathons, bicycle events, the Shrimp Fest, Coastal Clean-up, and The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.
“We always have a good time when we phlock together,’’ said Jane Tarver, who passed away in 2022. “I love seeing friends I’ve made through the years, but it’s all about the music, too. We have some of the best trop rock bands in the country coming in.’’
“Jane was our very own Parrot Head Minister,’’ said Lucy Buffett, owner of Lulu’s at Homeport Marina, when she passed. “ Heaven has gained a great lady and a ‘good’ hurricane. I can only imagine the fun trouble she must be causing. She was an incredibly special person and will be missed by us all. Godspeed Hurricane Jane.’’